Wedding Train
| Culture | Ndebele |
|---|---|
| Title | Wedding Train (Nyoka) |
| Date | Early 20th century |
| Medium | Glass beads and cotton thread |
| Dimensions | Object: 77 × 8 7/16 in. (195.6 × 21.4 cm) Overall: 77 × 8 7/16 in. (195.6 × 21.4 cm) |
| Credit Line | Gift of Claire and Michael Oliver, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University |
| Accession Number | 81.58 |
| This artwork is currently on view. | |
A long, fibrous train covered in white beads with a buckle at one end, and triangular geometric forms protruding from the other end (this includes one main shape at the center, flanked by two smaller shapes). There are small areas with simple geometric shapes on the body of the train; these are composed of black beads.
This wedding train would have been worn by a young woman as part of her wedding ensemble, attached to the wedding cape or blanket or hung from the bride’s neck or head. The name nyoka, “snake,” refers to the appearance of the train as it moves behind the bride while she dances. Unlike much Ndebele beadwork, the beads of the nyoka are not attached to fabric, fiber, or animal skin, but instead they are individually sewn together. The predominance of white beads and the small size and simplicity of geometric patterns created by colored beads indicate that this wedding train dates to the early twentieth century.
Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.
Request this image
The Eskenazi Museum of Art provides images of its collection, free of charge, upon request.
This artwork is under copyright protection. You can request the image and it will be emailed to you when the request is complete.
Cite this page
"Wedding Train | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=81.58